Therapeutic traction apparatus



A mum v i Fgb. 11, 1958 B. HILL 2,822,805

* THERAPEUTIC TRACTION APPARATUS Filed. May 2, 1955 F/Q J.

il mwmm llllllll 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 11, 1958 B. HILL 2,

7 THERAPEUTIC TRACTION APPARATUS Filed May 2, 1955 I s Sheets-Sheet 2 mm. H, WWII!!! Feb. 11, 1958 B. HILL 2,

- THERAPEUTIC TRACTiON APPARATUS A Filed May 2, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Paten THERAPEUTIC TRACTION APPARATUS Benjamin Hill, Frazer, Pa., assignor to Hill Laboratories Company, Frazer, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 2, 1955, Serial No. 505,284

8 Claims. (Cl. 128-71) This invention relates to traction apparatus and espe- -cially to apparatus of that type as employed for therapeutic treatment of the human body. It relates to the type of apparatus in which a separate harness or support is provided for portions of the human body between which a stretching force is to be applied.

Devices of this kind have ordinarily been operated under spring tension, and this has resulted in two serious limitations or drawbacks. In the first place the stretching force applied has been variable, due to the variable force applied as the stretching of the spring distorts it progressively from its normal shape. In the second place, it has been impossible to adjust the extent of the stretching force to meet the requirements of the particular patient or the particular ailment without resorting to substitution of springs, or complicated adjustments. The present invention provides a device which avoids both of these drawbacks.

A primary object of this invention has been to provide a traction apparatus of this character in which the stretching force is uniform.

A further object of the invention has been to enable the stretching force to be adjusted to suit the particular required conditions, by a very simple manual operation which can be accurately controlled.

A further object of the invention has been to provide a device of this kind in which the apparatus which imposes the stretching force by resisting the pulling force of associated apparatus will be rapidly and automatically returned to normal position upon release of the pulling force and return of the pulling apparatus to its normal position.

Still further objects and advantages of the invention and the manner in which they have been attained will be evident from reading of the following detailed description in the light of the attached drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a prospective view of the apparatus of the invention in position as employed in the treatment of a patient,

Figure 2 is a detailed side elevation of the apparatus of the right-hand end of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an end view of the apparatus taken from the right-hand end of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a detailed side elevation of the opposite end of the apparatus,

Figure-5 is an end view of the details illustrated in Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a plan view of these same details,

Figure 7 is a cross-section on the line 7-7 of Figure 3,

Figure 8 is a cross-section on the line 8-8 of Figure 3,

Figure 9 is a cross-section on the line 99 of Figure 2,

Figure 10 is a detailed inverted plan view, looking in the direction of the arrows 1010 of Figure 8, and

Figure 11 is a detailed end view, looking in the direction of the arrows 11-11 of Figure 8.

2,822,805 Patented Feb. 11, 1958 As illustrated in the drawing, the therapeutic traction apparatus of the invention may comprise a stand 20'which supports a table 21 and encloses a motor and gearing for reciprocating this table longitudinally of the stand, in a manner generally similar to the arrangement of my prior Patent 2,230,057. The patient 22, lying upon the table in the position illustrated in Figure 1, is moved periodically in opposite directions with the movement of the table, and this movement is resisted by a suitable harness or harnesses attached to portions of his body to apply the desired stretching action.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 4-6, the harness applied to the head end of the table may be secured to an adjustable bracket 23 carried by this head end for reciprocation therewith. This bracket carries a clasp 24 for securement of the strap 25 which, together with straps 26 and a belt 28, comprises a thoracic harness in the particular form illustrated. This harness may, of course, be a cervical harness where it is desired to impart traction to the neck, or it may be a harness designed for securement to other portions of the body.

As illustrated, there is provided a second harness 29 including an ilial belt 30 secured by straps 32 and 33 to a clasp member 34 which is attached to a resisting member 35 to provide a resisting force and thus impart the desired traction or stretching action upon the parts of the body between the areas of securement of these two harness members. As so far described, the apparatus is more or less conventional, and the features of the present invention are not concerned with the particular manner of securement of the harnesses to the body of the patient, but with the manner of imparting the desired resisting force to maintain it uniform and control it accurately.

The resisting member 35 is in the form of a framework 36 carrying at its upper end the bracket 37 to which the clasp 34 and strap 33 are secured, and this frame-work includes legs 38 which are pivotally mounted at their lower ends for limited rotation about a crossshaft 40 as discussed hereinafter. This shaft is in turn mounted within a supporting frame-work 42 between the parallel rearwardly extending arms 43 thereof. These arms carry downward extensions 44 whichserve as a brake anchor and also rearward extensions 45. A pair of brake rotors 41 are mounted for rotation about shaft 40, and these rotors carry at their respective outside lateral edges, ratchet teeth 46. Brake bands 47 are applied about these brake rotors, and are secured at one of their ends to a cross-bar 48 extending between the downward extensions 44 of arms 43 of frame-work 42. These ends of the bands are secured by screws or bolts 49 through a connecting bar 50 to the cross-bar 48, as ilustrated in Figure 10, and the opposite ends of these bands are correspondingly intersecured through screws or bolts 51 to connecting bar 52.

The force applied to the brake rotors 41 by their associated bands 47 is adjusted by a screw 53 which is secured to the brake band mounting and is actuated by a handle 54 to adjust the force required to produce pivotal movement of the legs 38 about the shaft 40. To this end, each of the legs 38 carries a pawl 58 which is associated with one of the ratchets 46. It will thus be seen that movement of the bed 21 to the left as illustrated in Figure 1 acts through harness 27, harness 20 and clasp 34 to swing the legs of frame-work 36 in a counterclockwise direction about shaft 40. This causes pawls 58 to engage ratchets 46, however, and the tensile force is applied through these pawl and ratchet combinations to the brake drums 41. Since the bands 47 are applied to these drums with substantial braking pressure, however, this braking force serves to resist the counter-clockwise movement and thus apply a resisting force to the movement of frame-work 36 and harness 29 to the left. The desired traction through the motor-impelled pull of thoracic harness 27 and table 21 against the resisting force .of harness 29 is applied by the brake bands 47.

A dial 55 carryingindicia of the braking adjustment is provided on the face of the handle 54, and the particular braking force to which'the apparatus is set may accordingly be read directly in terms of the position of this dial in relation to a marking line 56 on a plate 57 carried by connecting bar 60 extending between arms 45,

as illustrated in Figures 7, 8 and 11 of the drawing.

After traction is applied to the patient by movement of. table 21 to the left as discussed above, this table will be returned rightward to the position of Figure 1. As the tensile forceexerted through harness 29 upon legs 38 of frame-work 36 is relieved by this movement, these legs will be returned in a clockwise direction'by springs 59 anchored to arms 44 and secured at their opposite ends to legs 38. Pawls 58 slip 'rearwardly over associated ratchets 46 during this movement.

It will be seen that I have not only provided a traction apparatus which applies uniform braking resistance as discussed above, but that this resistance, and hence the tensile force applied, may be pre-adjusted through handle 54 at any desired value. While the apparatus will ordinarily be used by reciprocating the table at a uniform rate, the motor may be stopped at any desired point in movement of the table to the left, in cases in which it is desired to provide a longer, sustained, traction.

While the invention has been described only in its relation to a single specific embodiment, persons skilled in this art will be aware that various refinements and modifications are available. I therefore wish it to be understood that this invention is not to be limited in interpretation except by the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for applying stretching traction to the human body, the combination comprising a force-transmitting traction member mounted for securement to a portion of the body, a force-resisting traction member mounted for securement to another portion of the body, means for exerting force upon said first-mentioned traction member to move it in a direction away from said second-mentioned traction member, and friction means comprising a brake shoe applied to a braked member secured for movement in response to movement of said second-mentioned traction member to resist similar movement of said second-mentioned traction member and thereby exert traction upon the portion of the body between the positions of securement of said traction members.

2. In apparatus for applying stretching traction to the human body, the combination comprising a body-supporting table, means connected to the table for exerting force upon said table to move it linearly to impart the desired traction to a body thereon, means mounted for securement to a portion of a body mounted on said table and yieldably movable with said table for resisting similar movement of the secured portion of the body, and friction means comprising a braked member movable in response to table movement and a coacting brake stator for restraining said resisting means against said movement.

3. In apparatus for applying stretching traction to the human body, the combination comprising a force-transmitting traction member mounted for securement to a portion of the body, a force-resisting traction member mounted for yielding longitudinal movement and for securement to another portion of the body, means for exerting force upon said first-mentioned traction member to move it in a direction away from said second-mentioned traction member, friction means comprising a brake shoe applied to a brake member secured for movement in response to movement of said second-mentioned traction member to resist similar movement of said secondmentioned traction member and thereby exert traction upon the portion of the body between the positions of securement of said traction members, and means for returning said second-mentioned traction member to its nonstretching position upon return of said first-mentioned traction member to its corresponding position.

4. In apparatus for applying stretching traction to the human body, the combination comprising a table for supporting the body while traction is applied, means connected to the table for moving said table longitudinally in opposite directions, a force transmitting member mounted for securement to a portion of the body and also secured to said table for longitudinal movement therewith, a force-resisting traction member mounted for securement to another portion of the body and secured independently of said table for yieldable movement therewith, and friction means comprising a braked member movable in response to table movement and a coacting brake stator applied to said second-mentioned traction member to resist said movement and thereby exert traction upon the portion of the body between the positions of securement of said traction members.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, in which said force transmitting and force-resisting traction members comprise harnesses, and in which the force-resisting harness is secured to a pivotally mounted arm for movement in application of traction.

6. In apparatus for applying stretching traction to the human body, the combination comprising a table for supporting the body while traction is applied, means connected to the table for moving said table longitudinally in opposite directions, a force transmitting member in the form of a harness mounted for securement to a portion of the body and also secured to said table for longitudinal movement therewith, a force-resisting traction member also in the form of a harness mounted for securement to another portion of the body and secured independently of said table by a pivotally mounted arm for yieldable movement therewith, and friction means applied to said second-mentioned traction member to resist said movement and thereby exert traction upon the portion of the body between the positions of securement of said traction members, said friction means comprising a brake rotor secured for movement with said arm and a brake stator applied to said rotor to yieldably resist its movement.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 6, in which the resistance to movement of said arm'is applied through said brake rotor by a pawl and ratchet mechanism mounted coaxially of said arm and brake rotor about the pivotal axis of said arm.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, in which means are provided to return said force-resisting traction member to nonstretching position upon return of said forcetransmitting member to corresponding position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,205,649 Miller Nov. 21, 1916 1,239,522 La Rock Sept. 11, 19l7 1,837,037 Gilberg Dec. 15, 1931 1,914,202 Henze et a1 June 13, 1933 

